“And so must we,” Georgina said, her tone crisp.
Alex’s attention lingered on her a heartbeat longer, the corners of his mouth easing from grim tension to something nearer respect, perhaps even admiration. “You’ve proven yourself invaluable in this, Lady Georgina.”
She inclined her head, but there was no modesty in it. Only resolve. “We will see it through.”
Alex looked at Barrington, then back at the ledger where their discoveries lay bare. No more half-measures. No more shadows unchallenged.
“Then we go to Carver,” Alex said. The silence that followed wasn’t hesitation. It was an agreement, forged in urgency and trust.
Chapter Fourteen
“You cannot expectme to remain behind,” Georgina said, her arms folding tightly as Alex tightened the saddle girth with grim finality.
His hands stilled on the leather strap. He had braced for her resistance, but the clarity in her tone struck deeper than he cared to admit. “No,” he said, keeping his voice level, “I expect you to do something that no one else can accomplish but you.”
Beside him, Barrington stood, his steady gaze tracking the preparations in the yard. “We need to know what passed between your late husband and Tom Carver,” Barrington added. “There’s history there, and it’s buried deeper than the mines themselves.”
Georgina’s lips pressed together, her chin lifting. She had no intention of being pushed aside, not after everything they had uncovered. “Then let me hear it from Carver himself,” she challenged.
The steadiness in her voice caught him off guard. Pride stirred, tempered by the quiet ache of knowing she would never again yield to anyone’s protection, least of all his. Alex’s mouth tightened. He wished he could give her that freedom, but not this time. “Carver is too unpredictable. He may not be involved, but as a mine owner, he has his own stake in this. I will not risk you walking into a trap.”
She drew a breath. “You think this is a trap?”
“I hope not, but we’re not certain. Barrington and I must be prepared.”
“Very well,” she allowed. Her mind had begun to race withthoughts on how to obtain the information they needed. “I won’t disappoint you.”
“I didn’t think you would,” Alex agreed. “Find out everything you can about Rowland’s dealings with Carver. Mrs. Hemsley will have kept a close eye on household matters.”
Georgina nodded, already turning over possibilities. “Mr. Titus,” she added aloud, thinking swiftly. “Rowland’s valet. He might have kept letters or notes. He knew the rhythms of Rowland’s dealings better than anyone.”
Barrington’s expression shifted slightly. “Titus sailed for Canada shortly after your husband’s passing.”
Her mouth tightened, but she pressed on. “Then, Mrs. Hemsley, it shall be. She will remember. She always remembers.”
Alex could not help the trace of admiration that flickered in his gaze. “You will see what others have missed. I will be at Barrington’s after seeing Carver.”
Before she turned away, he reached into his coat and drew out a small pistol. It was light but reliable. He held it out without ceremony.
She raised a brow at the sight of it. “You cannot be serious.”
He wished, for one reckless moment, that he could keep her out of harm’s way with words instead of weapons. “I am very serious,” he returned. “You’ll carry it because I won’t risk losing you, not to them. Not to silence.”
She accepted it without hesitation, her hand steady. There was no bravado, only the quiet assurance of someone who understood the importance of such things.
He leaned in slightly. “Breathe. Never rush the shot.”
A flicker of something warmer stirred in her eyes. Not amusement, but a quiet respect, perhaps even trust. She accepted the pistol and tucked it beneath her cloak without further comment.
Alex helped her into the coach, closing his hand over hers a heartbeat longer than necessary as she settled into her seat. He lowered hisvoice. His words were meant only for her ears. “Trust me to keep the road clear.”
Her answer came soft but certain. “I trust you.”
The words landed deeper than she could have known. In the hush that followed, trust was perilously close to confession.
Their eyes held for a breath longer, then he closed the door firmly behind her.
As Alex swung into the saddle beside Barrington, Georgina’s coach rolled forward, wheels crunching over the damp gravel as it turned toward Ravenstock Manor.
